Micro stub bearings
- Thread starter Jtmoney714
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JM PRO
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- May 5, 2021
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We are talking about 4wd micro stub bearing. All microstub bearing need a stub axle. The 2 wheel drive bearing are different and clearly not applicable to this thread.
I disagree with you. This is a part for a 2WD 2002 Suburban. It is EXACTLY the same bearing as the 4WD but either has no splines or has this cute little cover. There is no axle and they run for 100,000 miles.
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JM PRO
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- May 5, 2021
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Dude, that is not a micro stub bearing. Micros stub bearing must use a micro stub (stub axle) to stay together. You have pictured a bearing that no one uses on sandrails and has nothing to do with this thread
The micro-stub bearings used in sand rails come from the automotive industry. They are the same ones used in thousands of cars. These assemblies do not require a micro-stub axle to hold them together.
JM PRO
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Mike. Sorry bud but you are wrong. I have designed and manufactured micro stub kits for over 20 years. I have personally taken these bearing apart experimented with them. I designed a front end using micro stub bearing and that bearing didn't make it onto the driveway out of the shop before coming apart. It needed a bolt and nut to immulate a stub axle to keep it together. I will look up and see if I can find a cross view of a bearing for you to understand.
Again, we are only talking 4wd bearings that use a stub axle. The front wheel drive bearing do not use any axle and are built to not need one
Again, we are only talking 4wd bearings that use a stub axle. The front wheel drive bearing do not use any axle and are built to not need one
Sandkist
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- May 6, 2021
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Suburban bearing assembly.
The axles can be removed from a 4WD hub assembly without the assembly falling apart. The bearing assemblies for the 2wd, 4wd and FWD are all built the same way
We can go back and forth all day. Neither one of us is going to change our viewpoint obviously.
I have removed the axles from my son's 4WD and he drove it for 6 months without the wheels falling off before he could buy new CV's
I removed the axle from my 4WD and towed it home from Colorado and the wheel didn't fall off.
Sorry your design didn't work with the hub assembly you chose, but the press fit hub assemblies used in sandrails do not need a stub-axle to hold them together. Only assemblies like the Kartek and Gear-One require the axle.
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JM PRO
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The bearing is pressed together when assembled. There are no other forces from keeping the bearing from pulling apart if there is no axle present. How long will it take for that bearing to fail by sliding out of its pressed fit is a gamble on the tolerances when it was put together. Could last a month, a year or a day. The fact remains the bearing is designed by the manufacture to have a stub axle installed to keep the bearing tight. Good luck everyone and tighten those stub axle nuts. lol
JM PRO
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On a side note,
Hit up Bob @ RBP MANUF.
He is located:
3121 E La Palma Ave #P, Anaheim, CA 92806
+17146307054
He sells a very reasonable micro stub kit. His kit uses a bearing that is 100% factory and can be bought off the shelf for dirt cheap. He uses the Timken 515006 bearing which is easy and cheap to get.
Bob is a machine shop and sells to most of the buggy builders and retail stores. He allows them to rebrand his stuff so lots of things you buy that has someone's name on it came from his shop.
Hit up Bob @ RBP MANUF.
He is located:
3121 E La Palma Ave #P, Anaheim, CA 92806
+17146307054
He sells a very reasonable micro stub kit. His kit uses a bearing that is 100% factory and can be bought off the shelf for dirt cheap. He uses the Timken 515006 bearing which is easy and cheap to get.
Bob is a machine shop and sells to most of the buggy builders and retail stores. He allows them to rebrand his stuff so lots of things you buy that has someone's name on it came from his shop.
To be clear, I'm not saying you can RUN your sand car without a micro-stub axle. I'm saying the assembly will not fall apart and you can tow the car back to camp on all 4 wheels. There is really no way to run any of these cars with only one axle with an open diff. Yes tighten your axle nuts and change your hub assemblies every few years, but check them every trip.
I do have experience as stated above putting lots of miles on my factory front 4wd assemblies without axles installed though. I also believe the production of the 2wd and 4wd are the same for most manufactures.
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I will second a recommendation for RBP! A couple of years ago, I realized my hub bearing had a lot of play in it right before a new Year's trip. I got ahold of him as he was closing up for the holiday and he went out of his way to get me a new hub, so I could make my trip. Awesome guy! I bought two of his micro stub bearings. I kept one of my old ones as a spare.
HTElectrical
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- May 6, 2021
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I will 3rd a recommendation for Bob. I am running his set-up, and am very pleased. He was great to work with!!!!!!
Bob Finders Is a really cool and knowledgeable guy, but his bearing kit is NOWHERE near as strong as the ProAm!!!!!
Bob has been making an upgraded 300m bearing that is supposed to be closer to the PA.....but I'll tell you from my personal experience, neither of the RBP's are as good!!!!
With any microstub or midboard-microstub, you break the stub axle your tire is rolling by you......been there done that!!!!!!!
If you have RBP bearings....your trailing arms sometimes need to be machined out a bit to retrofit to ProAms.
J Alper
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- Apr 30, 2021
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I have Sold RBP parts for about 15 years now, Bob also owns a sandcar and tests what he uses, we have mostly used his parts over the years, so far no issues with the bearings,
@HTElectrical just did a kit on his Chenoweth,
Best to call bob, has light duty, and HD, tell him your goal and he will sell or make you a bearing kit
4WD, Micro bearings, I had a Jamar micro stub kit 20 years ago and told a friend that was upgrading to RCV Shafts,, Told him that the bearings will not come apart on the JK jeep, just drive it till the shafts come in, Well it came apart Luckly it did not damage the body,
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Jtmoney714
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- May 6, 2021
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To keep the theme of discussion going… what bearings are people running and with what size tires. I feel that bit of info will help.
I installed the Kartek rebuildable bearings and had a failure after 3 trips. Sent it back to them as they said that they havent had a failure on these yet..... After getting it back they couldnt tell why it failed and that im out of luck. So i have just installed another one of them and now i am nervous to drive the car as the last one just failed. I followed their tighten instructions and retightened them after 5 miles or so. So take that for what its worth but im not sold on their new rebuildable system as of now.
chopshop
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- May 6, 2021
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No idea how it failed but the bearings were cooked and failed. Sent it back to Kartek for evaluation as they said that they wanted to see what happened. After they got it back they contacted me and said they dont have a reason for the failure. So as of now i have put another one of their bearings in and hope it lasts longer than 3 trips. I checked and retorqued as they had in the specs. Pretty pissed that i have had to buy 3 now as 1 of the first 2 went out so fast. Ill attach pics of what it looked like when i took it off. You can see the heat transfer and the races. When it failed it took out the rotor and caliper too.
